AfriGeneas Free Persons of Color Forum

Did your Daniel Watts remain in Virginia? I have an interest in some African American Watts who appeared in the Ouachita Parish area of North Louisiana in the early 1800's. The Ouachita, from the late 1700's forward, provided a safe-haven for a handful of free blacks, and folks who "had been" free and black--but wanted to live as white. Several of those families came from the Carolina's and Virginia.

A Daniel Watts who "appears" to be white was on the Ouachita as early as 1831 when he married Felicity Roi. He does not appear to be a part of the Thomas Watts family that came to the Ouachita from South Carolina and then moved on to Texas. Ouachita area Watts researchers claim that Daniel was not one of theirs. He is sometimes recorded as Daniel P. Watts.

Joseph Watts first appears on the Ouachita in 1820, and in 1830 is recorded as being a fpoc. Joseph, according to the 1830, was between 36 and 55 years old.

In 1851 Joseph Watts, fpoc married Sousan Dunmore, who was born enslaved, but purchased by her father and freed early in her life. I can only assume that her husband was near her age. This Joseph could have been the son of Joseph who appeared on the 1830.

There is a possiblity that Felicity Roi was the daughter of my 3rd great grandparents Charlot and HD Roi, explaining my interest in her and husband Daniel Watts.

Sousan Dunmore who married Joseph Watts in 1851, was the daughter of Lawrence Dunmore, my 4th great grandfather.

Please tell me more of your Watts---particulary interested in any who moved west to Louisiana in the early 1800's.